Fair Test again shows: Latest SAT results show that so-called 'standardized tests' do NOT measure 'college and career readiness'
While the leaders of major city school systems like the members of the Chicago Board of Education and Chicago's enormous and highly paid bureaucracy under "Chief Executive Officer" Barbara Byrd Bennett repeat the phrase "college and career ready" as if they were praying, once again the facts refute the quasi-religious chantings. As the history shows, the "SAT" has evolved into an expensive experience in meaninglessness. When this reporter was in high school, "SAT" supposedly stood for "Scholastic Aptitude Test". But that was refuted by research, so the College Board, which sells the testing program, changed "SAT" to mean "Scholastic Achievement Test." Again, the claim was refuted.
The facts have never stood in the way of a ruling class policy that furthers inequality, and so U.S. Secretary of Education (left) and President Barack Obama (right) continue to push the "Race To The Top" program of hyper-testing America's public school children (but not private school children like the Obama daughters, who attend a Quaker school that doesn't hypertest). Duncan is now the longest-serving Secretary of Education in U.S. history, having begun his term in January 2009 when Obama was inaugurated for his first term as President.Finally, the College Board settled on the fact that "SAT" means SAT and nothing more. An expensive fetish had quietly settled on to American thinking, and it has remained there ever since.
But two facts show up every time the SAT scores are revealed and analyzed:
Fact One: SAT scores correlate directly with family income. The wealthier your family, the higher your "average" SAT score. While there are outliers, they only demonstrate how ugly the economics of race and class are in the USA today.
Fact Two: SAT scores do not predict "college and career readiness." In fact, they barely predict the success in the first year (and only the first year) of college. A better predictor of college "success" are teacher grades from high school. But that fact undermines the national obsession with testing and the attack on teacher professionalism.
As a result of these facts, a growing number of colleges and universities are now "test optional." That means, despite all the pressures, these colleges do NOT require SAT or ACT scores for admission. The number is now more than 800.
According to the latest report from FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing -- SAT SCORE TREND REMAINS FLAT; TEST-FIXATED SCHOOL POLICIES HAVE NOT IMPROVED COLLEGE READINESS... EVEN AS MEASURED BY OTHER STANDARDIZED EXAMS
SAT scores for the nation’s high school seniors continue to stagnate according to data being released on Tuesday by the test’s sponsor, the College Board. Overall SAT averages have dropped by 21 points since 2006 when the test was last revised. Gaps between racial groups increased, often significantly over that period.
Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), said, “Proponents of 'No Child Left Behind,' 'Race to the Top,' and similar state-level programs promised the testing focus would boost college readiness while narrowing score gaps between groups. The data show a total failure according to their own measures. Doubling down on unsuccessful policies with more high-stakes K-12 testing, as Common Core exam proponents propose, is an exercise in futility, not meaningful school improvement. Nor will revising the SAT, as currently planned, address the nation’s underlying educational issues.”
Schaeffer continued, “At the same time, the number of schools dropping SAT and ACT admissions exams requirements has soared. This year at least 14 more colleges and universities have adopted test-optional policies for all or many applicants.” A list of more than 840 such bachelor-degree granting institutions is posted at http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional
2014 COLLEGE-BOUND SENIORS SAT SCORES -- with score changes from 2006*
READING MATH WRITING TOTAL
ALL TEST-TAKERS 497 (- 6) 513 (- 5) 487 (-10) 1497 (-21)
* High school graduates in the class of 2006 were the first to take the SAT “Writing” Test. The “No Child Left Behind” mandate to test every child in grades 3-8 and at least once in high school went into effect in the 2005-2006 academic year.
More details on 2014 SAT score trends and an extended analysis will be posted at fairtest.org after the College Board’s public release of the results
For further information contact Fair Test's Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773
cell (239) 699-0468
FAIR TEST ALSO UPDATES THE WEEK IN THE RESISTANCE (press release October 7, 2014):
This week's assessment reform news comes from 15 states and Washington, DC, plus a large number of strong commentaries.
Note, in particular, the trend of jurisdictions, including California, Kentucky, Ohio and New York City, beginning to back away from total reliance on test scores to evaluate schools. And, remember to check out FairTest's new report -- Testing Reform Victories: The First Wave (http://fairtest.org/new-fairtest-report-testing-reform-victories-first)
California's New Local Control and Accountability Plans (see figures 8 and 9)
http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2013/edu/lcff/lcff-072913.aspx
California Could Drop Its High School Exit Exam
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/10/03/3883358_california-could-drop-its-high.html?rh=1
Colorado Assessment Reform Activists Seek Support for Highway Billboard Ads Against High-Stakes Tests
http://www.thecbe.org/support.html
Should Delaware Parents Be Able to Pull Kids Out of Testing?
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2014/10/01/parents-able-pull-kids-testing/16562073/
D.C. School "Reforms" Have Failed to Narrow Score Gaps
http://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/2014/10/02/kaya-henderson-really-doesnt-know-how-to-run-a-school-system/
Florida Parents Launch "Say No To Computerized Testing in Grades K-12" Campaign
https://www.facebook.com/Notocomputertesting
Florida Tests Beating the Fun Out of Education
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-school-tests-mayocol-b100514-20141003-column.html
School Testing Chaos Puts Florida Children at Risk
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-school-testing-chaos/2200312
Atlanta Georgia Cheating Trial Is Just "Tip of the Iceberg"
http://www.alternet.org/education/shockingly-widespread-standardized-test-cheating-schools-39-states
Kentucky School Accountability Reports Include Non-Test Factors
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/01/school-test-results-to-include-new-element/16519121/
Louisiana Teachers Pressured to Keep Quiet About Testing Overkill
http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/local/2014/10/04/educators-feeling-pressure-top/16739303/
New Jersey Is First State Planning to Use PARCC As Graduation Exam
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/09/30/state-unveils-testing-requirements-for-high-school-graduates/
Students "Thrown Under the Bus" By New Jersey's Hellbent Rush to Make PARCC High-Stakes
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/10/02/parcc-requirement/16584085/
New Mexico Rushes Forward With Error-Plagued Teacher Evaluations
http://www.abqjournal.com/472130/opinion/two-wrongs-wont-make-rushed-teacher-evals-right.html
Parents Can Stop Excessive Testing in New Mexico
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/education/the_dais/reader-view-parents-can-halt-excessive-testing/article_3fa765a0-be6c-5476-9c27-69fd7d7ab3b4.html
New York City Ends School Grades, Reduces Test Score Influence in Evaluations
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/nyregion/new-school-evaluations-will-lower-test-scores-influence.html
Upstate New Yorkers Continue Fight Against High-Stakes Standardized Exams
http://www.pressrepublican.com/news/local_news/article_06028b75-cfe9-523b-8c98-3b716b7db878.html
Ohio's Year-Round Testing Culture Leaves Little Time to Learn
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/09/30/teacher-plus-tests-leave-little-time-learn/16516805/
Some Ohio School School Quality Profiles Include More Than Test Scores
http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news%20local/2014/10/01/aurora-schools-profile-focuses-on-more-than-test-scores
Oregon Parents Consider Opting Out From New Common Core Test
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/235827-100596-common-complaints-parents-leery-of-new-standards
Testing Companies Fight Over South Carolina Contract
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20141001/PC1610/141009902/1177/contract-with-act-halted-after-complaint-from-minnesota-company
State Testing Cutback Gives Virginia Educators More Assessment Flexibility
http://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-edu-local-test-guidelines-1001-20141003,0,704691.story
Washington State Stands Firm Against Arne Duncan's Test-Driven Bullying
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/us/in-washington-state-political-stand-puts-schools-in-a-bind.html
New Book By Seattle Test-Boycotters: More Than a Score (with a chapter from FairTest)
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=67fdef094920f1fe197c7e2ff&id=5987db12b5&e=a146dbdccf
Unions Will Back Teachers Who Refuse to Administer Mandated Tests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/06/unions-say-they-will-back-teachers-who-refuse-to-administer-mandated-standardized-tests-to-students/
Gallup: Students Need Hope and Support, Not More Testing
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/10/01/06busteed.h34.html
Should Communities Determine Their Own Accountability Measures
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/beyond_the_rhetoric/2014/10/should_communities_determine_their_own_accountability_measures.html
Why Are We Still Using Standardized Tests?
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/beyond_the_rhetoric/2014/10/why_are_we_using_standardized_tests.html
Is Testing Designed to Reinforce Inequality?
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/beyond_the_rhetoric/2014/09/is_testing_designed_to_promote_inequality.html
Schools of Opportunity: New Project to Recognize Schools That Give All Students a Chance to Succeed
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/02/schools-of-opportunity-a-new-project-to-recognize-schools-that-give-all-students-a-chance-to-succeed/
Common Core Testing Contracts Go to Same-Old Big Vendors
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/10/01/06contract.h34.html
Big Corporations Sue One Another for Lucrative Common Core Contracts
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/10/01/06air.h34.html
Gender Biased SAT Scores Keep Many Women Out of Elite Colleges
http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/what-keeps-women-out-of-elite-colleges-their-sat-scores/39109
Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 fax- (239) 395-6779
mobile- (239) 699-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org
